Written questions, answers and statements

Animal Welfare: Internet

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Question for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

UIN 903450, tabled on 20 March 2025

Question

Peter Lamb
Labour
Crawley
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to encourage social media companies to tackle animal abuse content online.

Answer

Feryal Clark
Labour
Enfield North
Commons

Answered on

26 March 2025

Animal abuse content is horrific, and social media companies must do more to tackle it.

Social media platforms and search services have duties to tackle animal abuse content and implement safety-by-design features under the Online Safety Act.

Ofcom – the independent regulator - has published recommendations for how providers should tackle such content under their ‘illegal content duties’.

These duties took effect on 17 March and Ofcom have strong enforcement powers to hold companies accountable for failing to meet their obligations.

Answered by

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
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